Norwegian reindeer contaminated by Chernobyl

Contaminated reindeer through Chernobyl

10/10/2014

This year, the traditional reindeer hunt in Norway can not take place. The reason is too high a level of radiation from wild mushrooms, one of the main sources of reindeer food due to the Chernobyl reactor accident in 1986. In particular, the radioactive isotope cesium 137 still exceeds the permissible limits for fungi and animals.

The nuclear disaster in Chernobyl still leads to radioactively contaminated reindeer meat
Even 28 years after the nuclear reactor accident in Chernobyl in Ukraine, the meat of reindeer in the center of Norway is not suitable for consumption, said a spokeswoman for the state regulator. The traditional reindeer hunt must therefore be canceled this year. The current radiation exposure would be „far beyond the limits set for the launch ", the spokeswoman told the news agency „AFP“. The values ​​for cesium 137 with up to 8200 becquerels are much higher than the permissible 3000 becquerels.

At the time of the reactor accident, the atomic radiation had been particularly strong in this area of ​​Norway. Therefore, the soil is still heavily loaded. This is particularly problematic with regard to the reindeer, as they prefer to eat wild mushrooms, which accordingly also have high radiation levels. The warm, humid weather in the summer months has also provided ideal growth conditions for wild mushrooms this year, so this year's stock is larger than usual.

High levels of radioactive radiation in forest soils, especially in southern Germany
Germany was also burdened with radioactive radiation from Chernobyl. Shortly after the catastrophic catastrophes, it came to rain in southern Germany, so that the radioactive radiation in many parts of Bavaria could get into the ground. The so-called „Wash out“, The radioactive rain hit mainly the southern German forests. As a result, high levels of cesium-137 are still measured in forest mushrooms such as chestnut shoots and semi-dried mushrooms. The radioactive isotope has a half-life of 30 years. The radiation exposure decreases in this time by half. Animals and plants that have high levels of radioactive radiation are considered hazardous waste and must be disposed of accordingly. (Ag)